


Pranks and eavesdropping

by Carnivore



Series: OT4: White and Red [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Eavesdropping, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 02:16:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4082848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carnivore/pseuds/Carnivore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rung is not going to put up with a prankster making it worse for his patient. Neither does he like it when the said patient listens at his door.<br/>Pre-relationship, a scene that gets briefly mentioned in "Two and Two".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pranks and eavesdropping

\- Um, Rung? W-why did you summon me? I thought I was _normal_.

\- But you are, Swerve. You are remarkably sociable and show a _healthy_ sense of humor…

\- Why, thank you doc! I was just getting worried…

But Rung’s hand made a gesture to stop him from interrupting.

\- Perhaps you should worry that sometimes your sense of humor is not very healthy for _others_. Especially, - Rung made a pause for the chubby mech to realize where it was going, which showed plainly on his face, - for one of _my patients_.

The last part was delivered in an impersonal, frigid tone Swerve had never expected from the gentle psychiatrist. For the first time in forever he couldn’t find words, so his answer was an uncomfortable, guilty silence.

\- Of course you wouldn’t know that your practical jokes were interfering with his treatment. Perhaps even _undoing_ it, - the cold, measured words stung so much Swerve would rather be yelled at and called a blithering idiot.

\- I.. didn’t… - it’s not that Swerve tried to lie on purpose, he simply couldn’t bear all the guilt that weighed down on him all at once. Indeed he couldn’t have imagined that it was all so serious.

Rung just continued to look at him, shaking his head only so slightly.

\- This won’t happen again, - Swerve mumbled, observing his own feet with a concentration he didn’t know he was capable of.

\- It certainly will not, - Rung said in his usual agreeable tone, as if rewarding Swerve for finally being honest. - Don’t let me detain you any longer.

A few kliks later Rung looked out into the corridor. Swerve was gone faster than anyone would expect from a mech of his physique, but the psychiatrist felt a need to check that one place behind the corner… His suspicions proved correct: what he found was the large, hunched figure of Red Alert.

Whatever the hiding autobot felt about the conversation he’d been eavesdropping on was instantly replaced by a mixture of embarrassment and the desperation of a cornered turbofox. He straightened himself quick as a spring, his optics nervously shifting from side to side to avoid the look of the smaller mech.

\- You know that all the conversations within this office are _confidential_ , Red Alert, - the psychiatrist frowned, crossing his arms with a faint _klink_. - I dread to think how many of my sessions you've  _deliberately_ overheard. - His tone had the same coldness to it that Swerve had found so unnerving, but Red Alert was taking it even worse: the words made him actually _recoil_.

\- N-no… not many, honestly… - he managed to utter, his massive arms held tight against his chest, as if the gesture could protect him from words and guilt. A few of his fingers twitched nervously.

\- Good, - Rung said with a small nod. - I hope you won’t hold it against Swerve, or at least wouldn’t show it. I’d like you to believe that he’s not a saboteur, but rather an ordinary prankster who doesn’t know what to do with his time. He simply doesn’t have it in him to be a part of any conspiracy. If he musters up some courage he might even ask your forgiveness. Though it’s more likely that he’ll just slip you a few drinks on the house, - the therapist’s usual amicable voice calmed Red enough for the mech to finally look at him, and Rung briefly put a hand on his forearm.

\- I..i’ll try, - Red was still flustered, but his posture was easing up. - I’m not really mad at him, I mean. I’ll try to believe in this crew. And… Rung… I can keep a secret. Many secrets…

\- I trust you can, - the slender mech smiled, turning to move back to his office, but Red followed.

\- Err… Rung? - the small psychiatrist turned to face him once more. - May I ask you… please… don’t use _that tone_ on me. It’s just… _it hurts my spark._

\- Oh… - Rung was instantly concerned and sounded almost guilty. - I didn’t mean to, this whole ordeal was just so upsetting… I didn’t expect you'd be that sensitive to voice _tones_ as well.

\- It’s not… - Red held up a hand in protest but instantly put it down, as if he wanted to add something but internal struggle overtook him. - It doesn’t matter, - he uttered a bit too gruffly, his back already turned on the therapist, and the echo of his heavy footsteps briefly rumbled through the corridor.


End file.
